Adjustable footrest



. Oct. 24, 1939. ECCLES 2,177,174

ADJUSTABLE FOOTREST Filed July 2a, 1958 Patented Oct. 24, 1939 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFiCE 1 Claim.

My present invention relates to the provision of an adjustable footrestfor association with and attachment to chairs of ordinary and usualsizes. It is usual to provide high-chairs for relatively young and smallbabies with permanent footrests, but, there is a period during thegrowth of children when they are too large to comfortably usehigh-chairs provided with footrests, during which their legs have notgrown sufficiently to reach the floor when sitting on .a chair of usualand ordinary height.

I have discovered that children, whose legs dangle when using chairs ofordinary height, whether at meal time or upon other occasions, are

extremely liable to become restless and nervous by reason of the factthat the Weight of the pendant or suspended portion of the legssupported from the front of the seat, retards circulation and producesdiscomfort of varying degrees amounting, at times, to the partial andtemporary paralysis known as going to sleep of the members in question.Not only are children annoyed in this way, the reason for which they arenot aware, but small people and people whose legs are not long enough tobe properly supported from the floor when sitting in chairs of ordinaryheight, are subjected to the same inconveniences, the reason for theirdiscomfort not always being understood by themselves.

It was my object to produce an adjustable footrest which could beassociated with and attached to most chairs of ordinary height so as toproperly support the legs of persons using the chairs and therebyprevent the impeded circulation and resultant discomfort.

I have accomplished the foregoing objects by means of the structureillustrated in the accompanying drawing in which,

Fig. 1 is a perspective of an adjustable footrest 4.0 embodying myinvention in connection with a chair of conventional construction.

Fig. 2 is a perspective of'the footrest shown in Fig. l, detached fromthe chair.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the footrest shown 45 in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective of the platform or step of the footrest detachedfrom the frame and Fig. 5 is an end view of the step or platform shownin Fig. 4.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views.

To support in desired position the step or platform I0, upon which thefeet rest, I provide side 55 members II which may be made in any desiredwidth and height which will allow, without weakening the structure, ofreceiving two parallel, vertical slots l2, spaced fro-m each other aninch or more, as may be desired, and of necessary 0 ;length to securesuch vertical adjustment of the step or platform as may be required ordesired. The side members are held in parallel relation and spaced fromeach other, such distance as may be desired, by rungs or rods 13extending between the opposite lower corners of the respective sidemembers.

I also find it convenient with footrests which are frequently shiftedfrom chair to chair, to employ an additional supplementary rod or rungl4, extending centrally between the tops of the side members. Thesupplementary rod or rung l4 not only increases the strength andparallelism of the arrangement of the side members but is alsoconvenient for use as a handle in moving the footrest from place toplace.

The step or platform I0 is proportioned to fit and extend between theside members H and, secured to the underface of the step or platform atits ends, are rails or projections l5 which rails are provided withaligning horizontal slots l6 which intersect the planes of the verticalslots 12 in the side member I l.

I employ headed bolts l'l, generally known in the trade as carriagebolts, with washers l8 and wing nuts l9, which bolts pass through theregistering portions of the slots I 2 and I5 so that by tightening upthe wing nuts I9, the platform or step I0 may be secured in any desiredangular position and at any desired height.

If the person who is to use my footrest is not very nervous and the sidemembers are of reasonable width, no means are necessary for securing thestructure to the chair, but, in order to dependably secure the structureto a chair for a greater or less length of time, I have provided at thetop and bottom of one edge of the side members the short slots 20 forthe passage of tapes or buckle straps 2| which may be readily andquickly fastened or detached to or from the legs of a chair.

It will be found that my structure may be easily employed for greatlyincreasing the comfort of all those who may have use therefor.

Having described my invention what I claim is new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is,

An adjustable footrest comprising side members having a plurality ofspaced, parallel, vertical slots in each side member, means formaintaining said side members in substantial parallelism and spacedrelation, a platform or step extending between said side members havinglateral rails extending adjacent said side members, said rails beingprovided with horizontal slots, bolts passing through the registeringportions of the slots in said side members and the slots in said siderails, nuts for securing said bolts in desired position and means forsecuring said side members detachably to the legs of a chair.

EMMA G. ECCLES.

